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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Prøks]
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Chapter 42
The sudden appearance of Karlak and Wooz made it clear, even to those oblivious to social cues, that their intentions were far from friendly.
The red marks above their heads and their names, confirming their notoriety, spoke volumes about the countless users they had likely slain within this dungeon.
It was a classic scenario: encountering infamous users in a maze-like dungeon.
The course of action was obvious.
The atmosphere was tense, like a tightly drawn string, a situation on the verge of exploding.
Karlak and Wooz assessed Seonghyun and Kim Chegeon.
It was evident at a glance that these two were different from the weaklings they had encountered at the entrance.
Wooz, in particular, felt a palpable aura emanating from them, and she licked her lips in anticipation.
So, would they back down?
'Not a chance!'
On the contrary, this was even better.
The excitement that had waned from facing only weaklings was reignited within her.
Although he didn't say anything, Karlak felt the same.
His eyes, despite his hulking physique, were sharp, like a finely honed blade.
Perhaps the warrior's blood was boiling within him.
"..."
Still silent, Karlak lowered his stance, ready to pounce at any moment.
He was poised to attack at the slightest signal.
But they weren't the only ones.
Kim Chegeon, a swordsman herself, also felt her blood stir.
She placed her hand on her sword, ready to spring into action.
'I saw them outside, and they're quite skilled.'
Kim Chegeon seemed to relish the situation, a long, unseen smile curving beneath her satgat.
Just how strong were they?
She was eager to find out.
The tension in the air was palpable.
Any trigger, any signal, would instantly ignite a battle.
Unfazed by the situation, Seonghyun, without hesitation, used Death Legion as he faced them.
There was no need to delay.
A teal heart materialized in Seonghyun's hand, its pulsating sound echoing around them.
Kaishak's corpse twitched, its already dark skin becoming shadowed with darkness, and teal energy began to emanate from it.
But this was just the beginning.
The resurrected undead wasn't just one, but two.
Two identical undead were created.
Undead that were distinctly different from ordinary ones.
Seeing Seonghyun's undead, Wooz, Karlak, and even Kim Chegeon, his own party member, felt their eyes widen in shock.
"R-Rapid's Rookie!?"
"...!!"
"Oh, oh my... I knew you were a Black Mage, but I didn't know you were Rapid Guild's Rookie."
All three were astonished, but Seonghyun, with his usual indifferent expression, stored the soulless Imp Kaishak, created by Add More, into the Netherworld.
While it would be helpful to have it as an extra force...
He wasn't interested in seeing a soulless Death Soldier Kaishak.
However, that action had upset Karlak and Wooz.
The veins on Karlak's forehead throbbed as he glared at Seonghyun, and Wooz, her face flushed red, bit her lip as if in humiliation.
"...How arrogant."
"Ha! Do we look easy to you?"
Even the usually taciturn Karlak was enraged enough to speak.
It was a natural reaction. Seonghyun's action could only be interpreted as looking down on them.
Seonghyun was simply curious about how effective a Kaishak with a soul would be, but who would understand that?
Even Kim Chegeon, his party member, thought,
'Oh ho, he's quite skilled at provocation.'
As the saying goes, "Strike the shepherd to scatter the sheep."
To Kim Chegeon, Seonghyun seemed like someone whose schemes couldn't be taken lightly.
However, Seonghyun, looking at the two, tilted his head in confusion.
Why were they so angry?
He couldn't understand.
Shouldn't they be happy that he had given them one less opponent to deal with?
The psychology of player-killers was truly unfathomable.
Seonghyun swallowed his thoughts and asked,
"Hmm. Weren't you going to attack?"
Unlike Seonghyun, who asked out of genuine curiosity, Karlak's fists and Wooz's whole body were trembling with rage.
It seemed their patience had reached its limit.
Rapid Guild's Rookie?
They were well aware of the overwhelming number of undead shown in that video, so they hadn't attacked recklessly, but now...
'There must be a reason he stored one away, and it's not just to provoke us.'
Wooz, the petite woman, was furious, but she calmly analyzed the situation.
There was only one undead visible.
And even that one was stored away.
Was he struggling to maintain even that one?
That was a possible conclusion, but hadn't he controlled twenty goblin undead?
Was there a difference?
In Eternal World, the higher the grade of a skill, the more complex its effects.
For example, what if the fewer undead controlled, the stronger they became?
'It's a plausible effect.'
With a heated heart and a cool head, Wooz spoke to Karlak.
[Wooz - It seems like that guy summoning only one undead maximizes its power.]
[Karlak - Understood.]
With that short chat, Karlak understood his orders.
He immediately sprang into action, targeting Seonghyun.
Ignoring Kim Chegeon, the melee fighter, he swiftly aimed for Seonghyun.
A very wise tactic.
Kim Chegeon also reacted to Karlak's move.
Or rather, she tried to.
That is, until she saw the fire arrows flying towards her.
Whoosh!
The fire arrows, embroidered with flames in the air, flew past Kim Chegeon, forcing her to deflect them with a frown.
Unless it was a magic that exerted physical force, she had to use a skill to block them, so Kim Chegeon had no choice but to imbue her sword with a skill.
If she was delayed any longer, she would have to watch Karlak reach Seonghyun.
She didn't know how long that undead would last.
'I need to finish this quickly and go.'
She had to deal with Wooz as fast as possible and move on.
However...
"Will that be easy?"
Wooz, with a seductive smile, floated in the air, her eyes darting around as she prepared to use her skills.
Her appearance was so grotesque that Kim Chegeon couldn't help but frown.
If what she showed at the entrance wasn't all she had...
It seemed like this would take a while.
With that thought, Kim Chegeon stroked her chin as if stroking a non-existent beard, gripped her sword, and muttered,
"Hmph, underestimate JoseonBestSwordsman at your peril."
Wooz, genuinely perplexed by Kim Chegeon's words, muttered,
"Joseon? What's that?"
"Unforgivable!!"
At Kim Chegeon's sudden outburst, Wooz prepared herself and quickly cast spells to hinder her charge, taking a defensive approach.
Wooz was also a mage.
To survive against Kim Chegeon, a melee fighter, she had no choice but to focus on defense.
If Karlak could just take down that undead and join her in the meantime, everything would be fine.
But...
Thud!
A sound of flesh being pierced rang out not far from where Wooz and Kim Chegeon were fighting, causing both of them to turn their heads.
And the sight that greeted them was horrifying.
[Critical Hit!]
[The effect of 『One Strike!』 is activated!]
-K giggle! K giggle! K giggle! K giggle! K giggle!
"Ugh."
The undead Imp Kaishak was laughing uncontrollably, while Karlak, his shoulder pierced by Kaishak's tail, groaned and quickly retreated.
Even Karlak's body, tougher than most armor, was no match.
Wooz couldn't help but be bewildered.
How did it pierce through in one go?
On the other hand, Kim Chegeon was having similar thoughts.
'It's stronger than before it became undead...!'
Kim Chegeon had already fought Kaishak before.
That's why she could clearly feel that it was now even stronger.
Unlike the two who were surprised, Seonghyun watched Karlak and Kaishak with an indifferent expression.
Seeing Seonghyun's expression, Karlak couldn't help but grit his teeth.
Did he find his current state amusing?
Or did he think Karlak wasn't worth his attention?
He couldn't be sure, but he suspected it was something along those lines.
However, Karlak's assumptions were far from the truth.
'So the giggling wasn't just speech, it was actual laughter.'
Only Seonghyun could understand the words of the Death Soldier with a soul, and he had been curious about what it was saying.
It was just laughing.
Although a bit anticlimactic,
'It's certainly strong.'
It was significantly stronger than the other Goblin Death Soldiers or the mercenary skeletons.
And it was the same now.
Even though Seonghyun hadn't given it any specific commands, it moved like any other Death Soldier.
But its instincts were on a different level.
Seeing the Imp thrust its tail for a piercing attack, Karlak raised both arms in a cross and used a defensive skill.
However, at that moment, the trajectory of the thrusting tail shifted, aiming for the ground right in front of Karlak.
Thud!
Using its tail, firmly embedded in the ground, the Imp launched itself forward like a projectile.
As time passed, Karlak's defensive skill wore off, and Kaishak's short legs landed a powerful blow on his exposed arms.
Crash!
Sizzle!
It was a kick propelled by the Imp's entire body weight and acceleration, so the impact sent Karlak reeling back.
He gritted his teeth and tried to withstand it, but his feet scraped against the ground as he was pushed back.
The moment Karlak was pushed back, Kaishak thrust its tail again.
Karlak had already experienced firsthand that the sharply honed tail could pierce through anything, but this time, he couldn't avoid it.
He stretched out his hand towards the tip of the tail.
Thud! Crack!
The sound of leather and flesh tearing, followed by the sound of bones twisting and breaking, filled the air.
However, at that moment, Karlak managed to deflect the trajectory of Kaishak's thrusting tail with his hand. He then tightened his grip on the tail and yanked it.
-K?
Kaishak, forgetting even to laugh, stared blankly.
Karlak, baring his teeth ferociously, said,
"...Finally caught you."
With that, he pulled Kaishak towards him.
Kaishak was pulled along like a radish being uprooted.
The piercing power and strength of its tail were exceptional, but its physical strength seemed weak, unable to resist.
While being dragged through the air, it tried to struggle by putting strength into its tail.
Kaishak's struggle caused Karlak to stumble slightly, but that was all.
Not being in contact with the ground, Kaishak was at a clear disadvantage compared to Karlak.
-Ki, kir? (W-what the...!)
Along with Kaishak's bewildered cry, a red aura flowed through Karlak's uninjured right fist, landing a clean hit on Kaishak's face.
As if that wasn't enough, he extended his fist, slamming Kaishak's face, along with his own fist, into the ground.
Kaboom!
The impact was so powerful that the surroundings trembled.
However, perhaps due to magical protection, the floor remained intact. What wasn't intact was Kaishak's head.
Kaishak's head burst open like a watermelon.
It had managed to hold its own against Karlak, a considerably strong user, but it seemed this was its limit.
However, Seonghyun's expression was filled with satisfaction.
Although Kaishak had lost, it had put up a good fight.
And that wasn't all.
[Critical Hit!]
"Cough."
Just before its demise, it managed to dig its tail deeper into the hand that held it, driving it all the way to Karlak's heart.
Karlak's heart was pierced through.
However, he was incredibly tough and managed to stand up despite his injury.
It seemed he had decided that with Kaishak dealt with, Seonghyun was the only one left.
"...That must have been your strongest undead, and your only one at that. Now, I'll kill you."
Karlak spoke at length, which was unusual for him.
Seonghyun, looking puzzled, asked,
"Hmm, only one?"
"...?"
Karlak, sensing something amiss, couldn't understand.
Seonghyun, looking at Karlak, lightly raised his finger and snapped it.
Teal portals appeared in the air.
From them emerged twenty Goblin undead and twenty Skeleton mercenaries.
Finally, a Wraith appeared, enveloped in darkness, making the surrounding air several times heavier.
It was enough to freeze this passage in an instant.
Of course, that wasn't the end.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
With the sound of a teal heartbeat, Kaishak's head, which had been smashed like a watermelon, regenerated.
It returned to its original form.
The creature he had barely managed to defeat, almost at the cost of his own lives, was revived.
Karlak's eyes trembled at the nightmarish sight.
And he wasn't the only one.
"W-what, what the!? I-it wasn't a skill that made him stronger with just one undead!?!"
Wooz screamed in defiance, and even Kim Chegeon, who was fighting her, stopped for a moment to watch the scene unfold.
The temperature in the passage seemed to drop by 5 degrees with the teal energy emanating from everywhere and the aura exuded by the Wraith.
Perhaps this was how prey felt before a predator?
Even Kim Chegeon, his ally, felt her eyes tremble.
"Oh my."
There was no room for competitiveness.
Only one thing remained in this place.
Fear.
Seonghyun, who had spread that fear, gently opened his mouth as he looked at them.
"Come."
At Seonghyun's words, Karlak trembled with fear.
Wooz's prediction had been wrong.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Prøks]
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